Artisan Bread

You don't need to be a baker, a foodie or a specialist to love the tearing of a freshly-baked loaf's crust.  So much nicer than the supermarket sliced variety.

We have put our skills into the baking of Artisan Bread.  

No what is Artisan Bread.  It is a term that is used a lot in the food world these days.  Other words that come to mind is 'craft', 'fresh' and then 'REAL' 

We believe that it is easier to digest, because of the enzymes that have had time to begin breaking down the gluten in the flour while fermenting.  

We found a recipe here and we say thanks to Leite's Culinaria for sharing their recipe.

Have used Amaranthus in the dough to give our bread the edge it needs.  Amaranth contains more protein than any other gluten-free grain.  It's a wonderful replacement for gluten allergies.   

This is our version of a braided bread or a Challah bread.
Divide the dough in three equal pieces and braid it. Don't pull the strands or stretch it during the braiding process.  You want to keep the braid lose so that the dough can expand during the baking process. The little black seeds is from the plant known as amaranthus and ancient, protien-packed seed.  A tiny poppy seed-size grain.     

The end result is very rewarding 

Ready to serve and nobody can resist it  

The options is endless here it is served with wintermelon preserve and biltong

Amaranthus growing in our garden

Wonderful and gluten free.  

Thanks for visiting 

Lots of love 

Sandra 

A blue greyish lamp post in our garden

DeOudeHuize

There were oil lamps in the streets and candles in the churches and it was reported that the ladies complained of the candle grease "falling on their wearing apparel". 
The Council embarked on a scheme for electric lighting, at an estimated cost of 19000 Pounds. The work was carried out by Messrs Morley and Dawbarn of London and Johannesburg. 
Mrs Caskie, wife of the Mayor of the day, turned on the lights at a banquet in November, 1904. 
Six beautiful street lamps were donated to the town. 
The according to word-of-mouth it was donated by the British Monarchy.
These  stunning street lamp took poll position in front of the Town Hall. 
When we moved to Harrismith there were still 2 lamps standing 

Some years ago we were driving though town and saw four guys rolling this base of a lamp.

The base of the street lamp 

After a couple of minutes Hennie was convinced he could save the old street lamp. 

In the same year the then museum had to be moved. This was a main . . . main job. There was an old ox-wagon that needs to be removed. Under the ox-wagon a lot of broken pieces of a street lamp, was hidden. 

The then committee entrusted the broken bits and pieces to us. We learnt that it was destroyed by a truck. Biebie de Vos - our town historian - helped with a picture of the original street lamp. 
 Hennie started the restoring the lamp.  

In the words of Mother Teresa

If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. 

To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.

Bits and pieces put together 

A couple of years ago this pieces was entrusted to us when it was hit by a truck

"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out"

JRR Tolkien

A picture of a street lamp in Madison Avenue dated 1924.
This was part of the inspiration 

Bits and pieces 

Hennie started to renovate it as time was available.
He had to make new pieces where pieces were missing.
Painfully he managed to restore it

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of
creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. 

More detail of the bottom tulip shape 

Wonderful to see it standing in our garden

Thanks for visiting and may you have a wonderful time
Love from South Africa
Sandra

Colours while walking on a beach

The vivid color red in nature always connects with some memories. 

This time Emily Dickinson's poem "Nature" tells the story.  

. . . . . . . . .

I got your letter, and the bird’s; 

The maples never knew 

That you were coming,—I declare, 

How red their faces grew! 

But, March, forgive me— 

And all those hills 

You left for me to hue; 

There was no purple suitable, 

You took it all with you.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Sending you lots of love from South Africa 
Sandra 

Treasures in an old country hotel that is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

DeOudeHuize

Our town, Harrismith, is filled with history and interesting stories.
This story as told by the hosts of De Oude Huize Yard 
Part 2
Please read Part 1 here

Today we would like take you on a nostalgic trip and pay a visit the the almost part of history
that is almost something of the past.

Mr Annandale had a love for antiques and the beautiful old sideboards was part of his collection.

The first sideboard was originally made in Germany and was brought to South Africa by the Von During Family in the latter part of the 19^th century.

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

Winter but still Autumn

DeOudeHuize

The begin of Winter falls on 1 June but our country side is still coloured in yellow.  

Taken a week ago 

Now Winter is here and this is only the first attack 

Lots of  love from South Africa 

Sandra 

The ox-wagons of South Africa

DeOudeHuize

This history as told by the hosts of De Oude Huize Yard 

In South Africa, the ox-wagon was adopted as an Afrikaner cultural icon. 

 Ox-wagons are typically drawn by teams of oxen, harnessed in pairs. 

The oxen were given names that would give and indication of their character.  

These wagons had a very wide turning circle, the legacy, of which are the broad, 

pleasant streets of Harrismith "wide enough to turn an ox-wagon".

Hard sprung wood for spokes, iron wood for axles, nailable timber for the superstructure. 

The South African oxwagon is a piece of industrial design.  Built with interchanging parts to quickly replace damage parts. It was made for easy disassembly in order to be transported by the oxen when crossing rivers.  

It's separated front and rear axle and wheel components allowed it to take the sharp bends of the mountain passes. 

The ox-wagon's size determined the size of components imported for building infrastructure such as the railways, its bridges and determined the widths and sizes of public roads and squares. 

The wagon builders were very proud and the wagons were decorated with pride 

The oxen that pulled the wagons had names like Ribbok en Somer 

(Ribbok is the name of a buck and Somer means Summer)

Friesland, Rooiland en Wiegeland 

(Rooiland means red soil) (Wiegeland means to be sleepy)

Robbert en Duiker 

Joeman en Vryman

(Vryman means a free man)

Liefhebber, Witbol and Fluit

(Liefhebber means to love, Witbol means there is a white spot on the ox and Fluit means to whistle)

Witsenberg, Tiegerberg and Blouberg

(names of mountains)

Regter en Roman

(Regter means Judge)

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thank you for all the wonderful friends whom are sharing this story!!!

A Stroll Thru Life; A delightsome life; Any Girl Can Do It; Craft Berry Bush; Crafty Allie; 

Create with Joy; China on a shoestring; Confessions of a Plate Addict; Elizabeth & Co; 

Embracing Change;  Fabulous Friday;   From my front Porch; Fabulously Creative; 

French Country Cottage; Fishtail Cottage; Funky Junk;  Have a Daily Cup; 

Ivy and Elephants;  Katherines Corner; Knick of Time; Lavender Garden Cottage; 

Life on Lakeshore; My Romantic Home; My Salvaged Treasures; 

Miss Mustardseed; Revisionary Life; Rooted in thyme; Redoux Interiors; The Dedicated House; 

The Charm of Home; Rose Garden Malevik; Tilly's Nest ; Shabby Art Style Sisters; 
Savvy Southern style; Sweet Bella Roos; The Shabby Nest; The Jenny Evolution; 
 Too Much Time;  We Call It Junkin

A sandstone church in Harrismith

 DeOudeHuize

This history as told by the hosts of De Oude Huize Yard 

The foundation stone of the St Peters Anglican Church was laid on 19 February 1906 by HRH Arthur William Patrick Albert, the Duke of Connaught, & son of Queen Victoria, whom was in Harrismith at the time to inspect the garrison. 

The porch & belfry was added in 1923.
The original cornerstone was laid in 1874.
It is a beautiful building.

Please join me for a walk in the gardens and church.

A beautiful sandstone building.  

The Memorial Garden 

The benches in the memorial garden

Every plaque tells a story 

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thank you for all the wonderful friends whom are sharing this story!!!

A Stroll Thru Life; A delightsome life; Any Girl Can Do It; Craft Berry Bush; Crafty Allie; 

Create with Joy; China on a shoestring; Confessions of a Plate Addict; Elizabeth & Co; 

Embracing Change;  Fabulous Friday;   From my front Porch; Fabulously Creative; 

French Country Cottage; Fishtail Cottage; Funky Junk;  Have a Daily Cup; 

Ivy and Elephants;  Katherines Corner; Knick of Time; Lavender Garden Cottage; 

Life on Lakeshore; My Romantic Home; My Salvaged Treasures; 

Miss Mustardseed; Revisionary Life; Rooted in thyme; Redoux Interiors; The Dedicated House; 

The Charm of Home; Rose Garden Malevik; Tilly's Nest ; Shabby Art Style Sisters; 
Savvy Southern style; Sweet Bella Roos; The Shabby Nest; The Jenny Evolution; 
 Too Much Time;  We Call It Junkin